It’s the Great Oregon ShakeOut!

This morning at approximately 10:15, the McMinnville School District participated in the “The Great Oregon ShakeOut,” a statewide earthquake preparation drill.

“We hope the big earthquake never happens,” said Jack Crabtree, District Safety manager for the McMinnville schools. “But if it does, being prepared is the best way to keep students and staff safe.”

All schools practiced the Drop, Cover and Hold protocol, which emergency experts advise will reduce possible injury during earthquakes. Students sheltered under desks or huddled near an inside corner of the classroom and covered their heads, and held on until the drill ended.

Staff followed procedures on updating attendance, collecting parent emergency information, preparing for evacuation and shepherding the children to a safe location.

At Wascher Elementary (click here for photo gallery), the drill was orderly and efficient.

For resources and more information about what families and organizations can do in the event of a major earthquake, visit The Great Oregon ShakeOut website.

For more information about how to prepare for the big earthquake, click here for a list of resources and background from Oregon Public Broadcasting. To learn more about how the district will communicate with families during an emergency and how to sign up for emergency notifications, check our page on inclement weather.